George Strait – 2013 New Album Preview

Superstar George Strait may be retiring from the road, but we expect to see a new album from the 60-year-old entertainer in 2013. Though Strait has announced that his concert dates in 2013 and 2014 will be the last of his career, he is working on songs for a new studio record, and he plans to continue recording an album every year.

“I’m feeling a little antsy about getting back in the studio. I’ve got some great material already,” he said in November. “I’m working on some songs and some original stuff too. I’ve been doing a little bit of writing, but I need to do a little more.”

The Inspiration
Who knows what we can expect from Strait's 2013 album? The King is not exactly given to self-promotion -- for a guy with such a long and successful career, he gives remarkably few interviews, so there's a notable lack of information about his upcoming project. Knowing Strait, he'll finish this thing when he's good and ready, announce it in a press release, and then promote it mostly through touring -- all the while talking to the press as little as possible and revealing as little about himself as he can in the process.

The Songs
Again, who knows? Strait released a single titled 'Give It All We Got Tonight' in 2012, and it's probably safe to assume that would be included in any upcoming record. Strait is essentially an artist to whom the usual rules of country music don't apply; he hasn't been obliged to reinvent himself much over the years, continuing to release songs in that inimitable George Strait signature style and racking up 59 No. 1 hits in the process. Whatever he comes up with, it's likely to be a variation on the same winning formula, since it scarcely seems likely Strait is going to come out with something like 'Truck Yeah' this late in the game.

What to Expect
Strait did give some insight into his new album in November, revealing that he's been working with Nashville songwriter Dean Dillon -- whose previous hits with Strait include ‘The Chair' and ‘Ocean Front Property,' among others -- as well as his son Bubba, who has contributed to his albums in the past. It's a safe bet that he will work with producer Tony Brown and end up with an album that will be virtually guaranteed to satisfy his legions of fans. And while there's no real firm news to report, we think it's a safe bet that the basic outline for Strait's 2013 project will look something like this:

1. Release new album while calling as little attention to self as possible.
2. Sell millions of copies of said album while placing multiple No. 1 hit singles in charts.
3. Take money from album and go home, again while calling as little attention to self as possible.
4. Repeat next year and every year after that for the foreseeable future.